Chad Shultz handles a wide variety of litigation, including commercial litigation, and is a practice group leader for the Firm’s Employment practice group. He leads a team of skilled attorneys in Atlanta that assists clients with litigation and with preventing legal challenges through training and counseling. In the event those situations cannot be prevented, his team litigates, meditates, and arbitrates to a successful resolution. For the past 30 years, Chad has litigated in state and federal courts in 29 states (including more than 20 jury trials) and has conducted more than 65 labor arbitrations. As a certified mediator, he has successfully resolved 100+ employment law matters. Chad also assists companies by serving as “settlement counsel” on complex or difficult to resolve matters with the sole focus of settling claims to reduce defense costs significantly.
- Won a jury trial in a same sex-sexual harassment case in Wyoming.
- Won a jury trial in an employment contract case in Fulton County, Georgia.
- Won a jury trial in a pregnancy/FMLA retaliation case in Florida Federal court.
- Obtained a summary judgment in a same sex sexual harassment case in Federal court in Wyoming.
- Won a jury trial in a racial harassment case in Georgia Federal court.
- Obtained summary judgment in California state court in a whistleblower case for a large hospital.
- Successfully resolved an FLSA collective action on behalf of an international publishing company.
- Successfully defended several grievances through arbitration for clients in the manufacturing, hospital and airline industries.
- Won a jury trial in an FMLA interference and retaliation case.
- Won summary judgment for a national transportation company in a sexual harassment case prosecuted by the EEOC.
- Successfully concluded a class action asserting sex discrimination in a failure to hire case.
- Obtained a favorable judgment in an ERISA retaliation case.
Video
Publications
- "Manage Your Employees or Get Out of the Way: Ten Rules for Preventing Lawsuits". This is a short book for training supervisors.
- "Sixth Circuit Clarifies Employee's Burden of Proof for ADA Association Discrimination Claim"
- Presenter, Preventing Workplace Violence and Other High-Risk Behaviors, Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference Media Coverage
Media Coverage
- Television appearance, Employment Race Discrimination, On the Story, GPB Media, April 17, 2014
Admissions
- Georgia
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Memberships
- American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
- American Bar Association
- Atlanta Bar Association
- State Bar of Georgia
Community Involvement
Chad serves as the President on the executive board for the Atlanta Legal Aid Society. He is a trustee on the national board for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and serves as past President on the board for the A.R. “Gus” Barksdale Boys & Girls Club in Conyers, GA. Additionally, Chad is an adjunct professor at Emory Law School teaching an employment discrimination lab class, a position he has held since 2009.
Education
- LL.M., Litigation, Emory University School of Law
- J.D., University of South Dakota School of Law
- B.S., University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
Externships
- U.S. District Court in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Honors
- Super Lawyers®, Distinctions in Employment & Labor, Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2009-2024
- Best Lawyers in America® distinction in Commercial Litigation 2018-2022, Arbitration 2006-2026, Litigation – Labor & Employment 2006-2026
- Georgia Super Lawyers®, Employment Litigation 2009-2023, 2025
- Super Lawyers® – Corporate Counsel Edition by Super Lawyers® Magazine
- AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell